It is an honor for me to chair your Vashon Park District board in 2009. When I was initially elected to serve on the board, I truly didn’t know the breadth and depth of what the park district offers this Island. From concerts in the park to kayaking for families and ski school for children, I am continually impressed with the dedication of the park district staff to provide quality recreation experiences for a wide range of interests.

Please visit our Web site at www.vashonparkdistrict.org and get a fuller picture of what the park district offers. Then I ask that you share this knowledge with other community members, inviting them to visit the site and avail themselves of the programs.

I also want to encourage you to become active participants in providing us the feedback we need to create programs that meet the community’s needs, in both range and quality. It is important that the commissioners and staff hear from you.

Contact the commissioners individually; all of their e-mail addresses are on the Web site in the “About” section. Or come to the twice-monthly board meetings at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays and address us collectively. Or simply e-mail info@vashonparkdistrict.org with your thoughts and suggestions.

This year we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the park district. The contributions by the district to our quality of life have been incalculable and will continue to grow, adapting to the changing needs and demographics of the community.

Thank you for supporting the district financially, for your participation in the programs and for using our beautiful parks.

— Mike Collins, chair

Vashon Park District board of commissioners